A need has long existed for a device which can be used by an unskilled person, preferably by a patient herself, for obtaining a sample of cells from the vaginal area, to be examined in a clinical laboratory for the presence of abnormalities.
Devices known and used for this purpose, such as that which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,366 for example, require handling by a trained nurse or technician, are complex, and expensive.